The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220

Takako Kato

Cambridge, University Library, Add. 3206

Ecclesiastical Law

Date: s. xi2

Summary:

A fragment of two adjacent leaves, containing part of 'Institutes of Polity', the same text as fols 22v/8-26/13 of Junius 121. Some lines are missing on each leaf and letters are missing from the inner margin of the second leaf. Possibly from South-West England.

Manuscript Items:

1. Item: pp. 1-2/5

   Title (B.13.2.1.1.EM): 'Institutes of Polity', (partial) 19-20

   Incipit: (p. 1/1-2) godes mihta þā sacerdū fylstað sƿaoft sƿa hit riste þeniað | midrihte.

   Explicit: (p. 2/4-5) Lærað cristene fole georne ˥ | Lacniað hit georne.

   Text Language: English

   Other versions of the text:

   • CCCC 201
   • CCCC 421
   • Nero A. i, fols B. xi, fols 70-177
   • Junius 121

   Date: s. xi2

   Hand: Main 1

   Note: Text begins imperfectly, as Thorpe 1840, II. p. 328/22.

   Bibliography:

   Thorpe 1840, II. pp. 328-30

2. Item: p. 2/5-25

   Title (B.13.1.1.1.EM): 'Canons of Edgar': Of Penitents, iv-ix

   Incipit: (p. 2/5-6) An⁁d (addition: interlinear) ge þencað þæt se læce þe sceal y fele ƿun | da hælan. he mot habban gode sealfeto.

   Explicit: (p. 2/24-25) ealsƿa on godū læce byð þearflie broces l [xxxx] (unclear: hole on the parchement) Bem [x] (unclear: damage of the parchement) nn | ge ƿyrhte hit man mot æften canon done. ˥ eat meo

   Text Language: English

   Other versions of the text:

   • Brussels, Biliothèque Royale 8558-62 (2498)
   • CCCC 201
   • CCCC 265
   • CUL Ii. 1. 33
   • Tiberius A. iii
   • Claudius A. iii
   • Junius 121
   • Laud Misc. 482

   Date: s. xi2

   Hand: Main 1

   Note: Text ends imperfectly.

   Bibliography:

   Fowler 1965, pp. 1-3

   Thorpe, 1840, II. pp. 330-32

3. Item: p. 3/1-23

   Title (B.13.2.1.2.EM): 'Institutes of Polity', 21

   Incipit: (p. 3/1-3) [Tæ] (unclear: damage on the parchement) cað cristenū manuíi georne and gelome rihtne geleafan | i cunnon heora cristendomes gescead . ˥ þæt hi heora fulluh | gesecrad ƿitan.

   Explicit: (p. 3/21-23) ge oneallū godū dædum. | an his ƿillan. þonne magon ƿe egðer. ge ús sylfum | remian. geeallū cristenū mannū ·

   Other versions of the text:

   • CCCC 201
   • CCCC 421
   • Nero A. i, fols B. xi, fols 70-177
   • Junius 121

   Date: s. xi2

   Hand: Main 1

   Bibliography:

   Thorpe 1840, II. pp. 330/21-32/11

4. Item: pp. 3/24-4/8

   Title (B.13.2.1.3.EM): 'Institutes of Polity''Institutes of Polity', 21-22

   Incipit: (p. 3/24) [Leo] (supplied: ) fan men doð sƿa ic eoƿ lære for godes lufan ˥ for |

   Explicit: (p. 4/7-8) sƿa ge ƿissian moton sƿa sƿ [xxx] (unclear: perchment is cut) | ealra þearf sy ·

   Text Language: English

   Other versions of the text:

   • CCCC 201
   • CCCC 421
   • Nero A. i, fols B. xi, fols 70-177
   • Junius 121

   Date: s. xi2

   Hand: Main 1

   Note: Text begins and ends imperfectly.

   Decoration:

   • p. 3/24: The beginning of the second paragraph of xxi, ' [xxx xxx] (unclear: damage of the parchment) doð sƿa ic eoƿ lære for godes lufan ˥ for', was probably emphasized by an initial.

   Bibliography:

   Thorpe 1840, II. pp. 330/21-332/25

5. Item: p. 4/9-26

   Title (B.13.1.1.2.EM): 'Canons of Edgar', 1-7

   Incipit: (p. 4/9-10) RIHT IS ÐÆT preostas beon geornlice gode þeoƿiend | þeniende ˥ for eal cristen folc þingiende ·˥ þæt hiealle b

   Explicit: (p. 4/23-26) ˥ riht is þæt i | sacu þebe tƿeox preo stū sy. ne be ge scoten to ƿorold | na some acseman ˥ sibbian heoraagene ge [xx]ran oþ [xx] | sceotan to þā bisceope. gif man nyde scyle. ˥ riht is þæt c [xx] (unclear: parchment is cut)

   Text Language: English

   Other versions of the text:

   • CCCC 201
   • Junius 121

   Date: s. xi2

   Hand: Main 1

   Note: Text ends imperfectly.

   Bibliography:

   Thorpe 1840, II. pp. 244-46

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: Fragment

Support: Parchment. Two adjacent leaves.

Extent:

160 mm x 118 mm (dimensions of first leaf - size of leaf)

151 mm x 108 mm (dimensions of first leaf - size of written space)

162 mm x 108 mm (dimensions of second leaf - size of leaf)

162 mm x 98 mm (dimensions of second leaf - size of written space)

Foliation and/or Pagination: Paginated 1-4.

Collation:

Some lines are missing on each leaf and some letters are missing from the inner margin of the second leaf. Approximately five lines are missing from the top of the first leaf and three lines from the top of the second leaf.

Condition:

The surface of the parchment is damaged from the glue used for the binding and there are also some holes.

Layout description:

1. Layout:
• Columns: 1
• Written Lines: 25
• Locus: The first leaf.
• Overview: The page probably originally had 30 lines. Ruled with a stylus. The outer boundary is visible on p. 1.
2. Layout:
• Columns: 1
• Written Lines: 27
• Locus: The second leaf.
• Overview: The layout type and dimensions of the ruled area are unknown due to the loss of part of the leaf. It was probably originally ruled for 30 lines. 26 lines and one-third of the 27th line are visible. The outer boundary is visible on p. 4.

Hand description:

Number of hands: 1

Summary: Both leaves (Items 1, 2, 3 and 4) were written by the same scribe.

Methods of Alteration: Letters are added interlinearly, and insertion points are marked by caret marks in the shape of a virgule.

Hand: Main hand
• Scope: Sole
• Script: English Vernacular Minuscule
• Ker reference: Ker 11
• Description: The aspect is broad but pointed and slightly backward-leaning. Rustic capitals are used at the beginning of sections.
• Summary of the characteristics of the hand:
• Insular single compartment a is triangular, but rounded.
• The a component of æ is rounded triangular, and the same height as or slightly higher than e.
• Insular d is round-backed, with the short upstroke at 45º, and tapering backward to the right.
• e is round and its horizontal line goes up to the right and often finishes with a tongue.
• Insular f: the downstroke is straight with a wedged top and finishes with a serif that turns up to the right, and the tongue is longer than the shoulder. The shoulder consists of a upright diagonal and a short downward vertical line.
• Insular g has a flat top; the vertical stroke joins the horizontal bar towards the left, and the lower lobe is closed. The sizes of the upper and lower lobes are the same.
• Insular h: the ascender has a split top; both limbs are straight and have distinct serifs that turn up to the right at 45º.
• minims have distinct serifs that turn up to the right at 45º.
• r is insular.
• There are two kinds of s: insular s with a straight descender with a serif to the right, and a long s with a descender which descends slightly below the writing line. The descender of long s tapers slightly to the left at the end.
• t is round-backed and its head-stroke is horizontal. The back-stroke joins the head-stroke at the left side.
• The ascender of ð is tall at 45º and tapers slightly backward to the right. The prominent cross-bar has an upward serif to the right at its left end, and downward serif to the left at its right end.
• The ascender of þ is wedged or has a split, and its descender is short and has a serif to the right.
• The descender of ƿ is straight and finishes with an upward serif to the right.
• y is dotted and the first stroke is thick, whereas the second stroke is a thin line with a wedge of a split at the top, and its descender finishes with a upward serif to the right.
• ascenders are often split or wedged at the top (see b, l, þ).
• descenders Straight descenders are as long as the height of the body, or sometimes shorter, and often finish with distinct serifs that turn up to the right at 45º. (See insular low r, low s, ƿ).
• Abbreviations:
• the cross-bar of þæt has an upward serif to the right at its left-hand end, and a downward serif to the left at its right-hand end.
• macron has an upward serif to the right at its left-hand end, and a downward serif to the left at its right-hand end.
• the descender of ˥ is straight and usually has a serif to the right at the end. Its head slightly curves inwards. Sometimes a larger ˥ is used at the beginning of sentences.
• Punctuation: The punctus is used.

Decoration Description:

The beginning of Item 5, 'R', is in red. Some capital letters are written in black and coloured in red.

Additions:

There is no additional material.

Binding Description:

The fragment is now kept in a black loose cover.

Accompanying Material:

A fragment of a printed book, which was probably also used for the binding, is attached to the second leaf (pp. 3-4). Some letters of the printed fragment are visible on the right-hand side of p. 3.

A note in the handwriting of Felix Liebermann, which explains the contents of the leaves, is kept with the fragments.

Another note signed by 'The Librarian University Library' contains information about the most recent sale: 'Add. 3206 Saxon Homilies. Ab. 1050 two leaves. 1893. Sotheby's Bateman Sale lot. 1528'.

History:

Origin:

Unknown, but the palaeography suggests possibly South-West England.

Provenance:

The leaves were pastedowns in the binding of a book of octavo size. Formerly part of CUL, Additional 4166, a collection of fragments bought by S. Sandars in the Bateman sale at Sotheby's, 25 May 1893, lot 1528.

Acquisition:

Bequeathed to Cambridge University by Sandars in 1894.

Additional Information:

Administration Information:

Manuscript described by Takako Kato with the assistance of Simon Patterson and Hollie Morgan (2010).

Surrogates:

EM Project facsimile

A black and white microfilm is available at the CUL.

Bibliography:

A Catalogue of the Manuscripts Preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge, 5 vols (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1856-57; München: Kraus Reprint, 1980)

Fowler, Roger, 'A Late Old English Handbook for the Use of a Confessor', Anglia, 83 (1965), 1-34

Ker, N. R., Catalogue of Manuscripts Containing Anglo-Saxon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957; repr. 1990), item 11

Thorpe, B., ed., Ancient Laws and Institutes of England (London: George Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode, 1840)